In the industrial manufacture of components in microelectronics, such as for example wafers, multichip modules and also so-called, chip-size packages", these components are provided with soldering material deposits in preparation for a subsequent contacting with further components or mounting boards on a connection area distribution provided at their surface. In order to produce the soldering material deposits, apparatuses are used which apply isolated soldering material units to soldering material carriers formed by the individual connection areas of the connection area distribution and produce a connection of the soldering material units with the respective connection area.
Such an apparatus is known for example from DE 195 41 996, which shows a soldering material isolating device for producing isolated soldering material units with a soldering material application device for the application and connection of soldering material units with the connection areas.
Due to statistical irregularities in the process parameters and minute geometrical differences in the coordination between the soldering material application device and the soldering material carrier, or else because of the surface geometry of the soldering material carrier, there occur during the execution of such methods for producing soldering material deposits increasing numbers of defectively formed soldering material deposits. The range of the possible defects extends here from the complete absence of a soldering material deposit on a connection area to the formation of short-circuit between adjacent soldering material deposits. To date the occurrence of such defects in the production of soldering material deposits has been as a rule synonymous with the elimination of the corresponding components as rejects.
There is known from WO-A-97/12714 a method and an apparatus which can be used for repairing defective soldered joints, and in which, in addition to a handling device for the application of a component to a substrate, which is used simultaneously for the melting of a soldered joint, the use of further separate devices is recommended, in order to apply soldering material to the substrate for the contacting of the component or to remove it.